3. Add a pop of blush on top

4. Prep the skin

Scott Barnes, the makeup artist behind Jennifer Lopez's golden-delicious signature look, recommends exfoliation and hair removal to set the stage for liquid bronzer. But skip the lotion. "That will make the surface too slippery," he says.

5. Work in circular motions

As she was developing the tinted body versions of her popular Miracle Skin Transformer, cosmetics maven Sarah McNamara discovered that rubbing the product on in this car-wash manner "allows for smooth coverage and a beautiful finish."